End of Life / Suggested Replacement

We are replacing our ION that was purchased in 2011 with an Apex 10. Our replacement window is between 10-15 years for most gear at our venue. Some things we give up to 20 years.

For me there two reasons for "End of Life"
- the console is broken, the hardware doesn't work anymore
- the console is too old to run newer software starting with v3.x

I agree. The Gio was build like a tank, so if it is not loaded in and off a truck every day, it should last quite some time. If you are afraid of sudden show critical failures, you can always think about putting a cheap back-up in place. This could be as simple as  a Puck with some form of dmx node if that is even necessary.

Theatermachine said:

The Gio was build like a tank, so if it is not loaded in and off a truck every day, it should last quite some time.

For me, that sounds like two different things.

Can you explain this a little more?

if it's a house console, and never moved from the booth (never dropped or handled roughly), vs. a touring console, bounced in truck for a million miles, loaded and unloaded from it's case by local roadies who just don't care, or rented out to button smashers angry they can't program it they way they used to on an AVAB console . . . . .

The first will have a long life expectancy, give or take some button replacements or fader wheel or fader handles jamming up from Cheeto dust (yes, that is what the service tech finds INSIDE the console).  these parts are replaceable.

Built like a tank or not, the second is an abused dog, with cracked cct boards inside, loose solder connections, coke or beer spilled onto the face panel and inside; fans and heat sinks layered in dust and haze oil. . . .   A much shorter life expectancy. 

Consider a Broadway Lx Board programmer and operator, never leaving the comfort of their own venue, working 6 nights a week for 40 years.  Now look at a touring board op, 40 years on the road, hotel beds, poor food, bad chairs, 5 hours of sleep a night, and walking on arena floors all their life. 

They both still work at 60, but 1 will be working better than the other.

Howdy! 

There are a few ways we think about our consoles:

• Active - we are currently manufacturing the hardware, and new software features are able to be installed. We offer full repairs support. 
• Discontinued - we no longer make the hardware (you can't buy a new one), but we intend a reasonable length of new software features to be installed, and we will support repair as best as we can.
• Feature Complete -  we no longer make the hardware, and new software features cannot be installed (though we may offer critical or security fixes if they come up). We will continue to support hardware repair as best as we can, but these tend to be older devices, so that may be harder.
  • Our XP-based Eos Family consoles are currently in this designation - there are many in the world that are still operational, but they can't install software above 2.9, so they will continue to operate the same, as long as we can repair them.
• End of Life - we can no longer provide repair services for the hardware... he's dead, Jim. 

I like to say that the expected life of a modern console is ~10 years. Many work a lot longer, some were put into Feature Complete a year-ish early... but for discussions with admin folks, it is a good milestone to keep in mind for budgets. After 10 years, even if the console still functions, it is likely at or close to Feature Complete - which means the folks learning on it won't have access to what is being used in other venues, and that files from newer consoles may not be fully functional on the older system. 

ETC has a great team of folks called Field Project Coordinators (FPCs) who are technical pre-purchase specialists - their job is to get you the information you need before you move through a purchasing process without sales pressure. Check out https://www.etcconnect.com/Contact-Us.aspx for your closest office, and ask to speak with an FPC. 

~n~